1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cover assemblies for truck bodies and the like of the type employing a roller bracket lengthwise along both sides of the body, and in particular relates to such cover assemblies which provide for easy access for cleaning such brackets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sand, gravel and similar materials present a serious road hazard if hauled about in open truck bodies. Legislation in many states now requires truck owners and operators to cover such loads so as to prevent spillage. In many cases, these covers are simple tarpaulins which are manually tied down over the open truck body. But the implacement of these manual devices is time consuming and hazardous and is therefore not feasible for commercial trucking operations. It is therefore desirable to employ means for implacing an appropriate cover which the truck operator may quickly and easily utilize, and which may be moved back and forth over the truck body as the uses of the vehicle dictate.
There have been several arrangements suggested in the prior art. Of interest, Richard in U.S. Pat. No. 3,014,104, Greenburg in U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,338 and Reese in U.S. Pat. No. 3,012,813 all teach arrangements in which a flexible cover is folded in an accordian-like manner and thereafter drawn across the truck body. Other arrangements are taught in the following U.S. Pats. Nos.: 3,416,834 to Morse; 3,488,087 to Cox; 3,511,408 to Hughes; 3,498,666 to Harrawood; 3,549,198 to Cappello; 3,138,399 to Hughes; and 3,416,835 to Ohle. Further backgrounds in this area is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,898,147 to Horner; 2,997,967 to Malbert; 2,967,733 to Amerine; and generally in Patent Office Class 296 subclass 100 among others.
In addition to those teachings described above, a number of patented prior art references teach a roll-up type cover fabricated from sheet metal or plastic. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,548, Comisac discloses a slatted arrangement which may be rolled up at the upper forward end of the truck body. A similar arrangement is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,958 to Thorpe, as well as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,594,910 to Germann. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,732 Openshaw discloses a movable canvas truck body cover employing a bracket which is open faced in a direction away from the side of the truck, and L-shaped support rods extending over the open face of the bracket and carrying a canvas cover.
On of the primary difficulties with truck body covers of the types disclosed in all of the above references is that each includes some slatting mechanism for rolling or drawing the cover over the truck body. However, if the slatting mechanism is subjected to blowing sand, gravel and other material, it tends to stick and prevent easy movement of the cover across the truck bed. It is therefore desirable to provide means for allowing easy access to the roller bracket or similar means, such that this bracket can be easily cleaned to avoid the difficulties just described.